More than 1,000 U.S. troops and Iraqi forces launched Operation Sword on Tuesday in a bid to crush insurgents and foreign fighters in western Iraq, making it the third major offensive in the area in recent weeks. The new campaign is focusing on communities living along the Euphrates River between the towns of Hit and Haditha in the volatile Anbar province, said Marine Capt. Jeffrey Pool, a spokesman. The U.S. troops include Marines, soldiers and sailors from Regimental Combat Team 2, comprised of the 2nd Marine Regiment and 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Marine Division, Pool was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. The region, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is a hotbed of insurgent activity. Operation Sword, or Saif in Arabic, comes on the heels of two other offensives _ dubbed Operations Spear and Dagger.
